Improvement in car-springs



UNITED STATES PATENT Crrron JOHN B. QUIRK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-SPRINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,433, dated April 29, 1873; application filed March 21, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. QUIRK, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Springs and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description ofthe nature thereof, sufficient to enable others skilled `in the art to which my invention appertains, to fully understand and make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a face' view of the device ernbodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the two figures.

This invention consists, in part, of a spring which is constructed of a continuous piece of metal bent and coiled and having its ends free and crossing each other. It also consists, in part, in shelves in a casing, within which the springs are arranged for staying or support! f ing the ends of the spring. It'also consists, in

part, in a stud, which bears again st the spring at or about the points of crossing of the ends thereof. It also consists, in part, of a bearin g-block for supporting the spring and oper ating in connection with the stud which bears on the spring. It also consists, in part, in the` intermediate coils or bends c c. The ends b b` extend from the coils c o in opposite directions, so as to cross each other, as at d; and said ends are free and constitute the commencement of the spring. B represents a casing for the spring, and C a follower secured to the truck of a car, or a proper portion of the body of avehicle, which follower or portion bears againsmthe spring and rest-s on the free ends thereof. It will be seen that the spring` possesses great range of motion or power, owin g to the length of springfrom the coils to the free ends due tothe crossing of the latter. D represents shelves, which are formed on opposite sides of the inner face of the casing B, and occupy such positions that when the free ends of the spring are compressed to such an extent that they reach the shelves, the latter stay or support the said ends and prevent them from engaging with, crushing, or fracturing the coils c c. On the lower side of the follower or portion C I arrange a stud, E, consisting of a transverse block or piece, and bearing on the spring at or about the points of crossing of the free ends thereof.

` When the spring is so compressed that the free ends are horizontal or nearly so, or reach the shelves D, the stud presses centrally and solidly on the spring at the crossing of the free ends, thereby curving the same and compounding the motion thereof. The resisting action of the spring is still further increased by a bearing-block, F, which is placed on the bottom of the casing B and supports the central portion of the spring at e, so that when the stud E performs its., function the block holds the said central portion at e, but causes ed on the stud E to move on the ends of the y spring or springs for obvious reasons.

The follower or portion C will be guided in its motions in the casing B by means of rods or other suitable appliances. p

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 1. The spring A, constructed of a continu-- ous piece coiled or bent at c, crossed at d, and having free ends b b, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The casin g B formedy with the shelves D, arranged to operate in relation to the free ends of the spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. p

3. The stud E of the follower or portion C,

in oombination With the crossed ends of the stud E, in combina-tion with the springAhzwspring. substantially as and for the purpose ing crossed ends, substantially as and for the set forth. purpose set forth.

4. The bearing block F supporting the The above signed by me. spring, in combination with the stud E, sub- I JOHN B. QUIRK. stantially as and for the purpose set forth. Witnesses:

5. The casing B with shelves D and bear- JOHN A. WEIDERSHEIM, in g-block F, and the follower or portion C with MILLARD F. WALTON. 

